The present invention relates to a printer having a stacker for temporarily placing a printed paper sheet on it.
FIGS. 6A to 6C show the operation of a conventional printer.
As shown in FIG. 6A, a conventional printer P0 has a box-like main body cover 1 storing a printing unit main body (not shown), and a thin box-like upper cover 2 attached to the upper surface side of the main body cover 1 to be rotatable about its rear end portion as the center.
The upper cover 2 has a discharge port 2a in its upper surface to discharge the paper sheet facedown wherein the printed surface faces downward. As shown in FIG. 6B, a stepped portion 5 is formed on the rear side of the upper cover 2. A discharge port 2c is formed in a vertical portion 2b of the stepped portion 5 to discharge the paper sheet faceup wherein the printed surface faces upward. A stacker 3 is fixed at a position on a horizontal portion 2d of the stepped portion 5 opposing the discharge port 2c by a pair of fixing members 4. The stacker 3 is formed of a flat plate member to temporarily place the paper sheet, which has been discharged faceup, on it.
In the conventional printer P0, when the user or the like opens the upper cover 2 by rotating it through about 90.degree., as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 6C, to exchange the articles of consumption or to take a countermeasure for solving paper jamming, the stacker 3 is also rotated as indicated by an arrow B together with the upper cover 2 while it is fixed to the upper cover 2, to likely collide against the devices or wall located on its rear side. To prevent this, a large space (dead space) for preventing collision must be kept behind the printer P0.
Such a dead space is not preferable as it increases the area required when using the printer P0.